Boeing Unveils Latest Twin-Aisle Jet
Jackie Reddy June 26, 2017
Unofficially dubbed the 797 and not due to enter service until 2025, the aircraft manufacturer’s “middle-market” plane promises to be anything but middle-of-the-road.
It may yet be years away from entering active service, but aircraft manufacturer Boeing has unveiled its newest launch. Already dubbed the 797, the company’s latest offering, which was revealed earlier this week at the Paris Air Show, has been designated as Boeing’s “middle-market airplane”, a twin-aisle craft that can seat between 220 and 270 passengers.
The 797 is Boeing’s first new airliner since the launch of the 787 Dreamliner six years ago. CNN Money reports that this new craft “has become the most anticipated airplane in commercial aviation.” While it may not take to the skies until 2025, those within the airline industry, taking a nod from Boeing’s historical naming conventions, are already referring to the craft as the 797.
Flying reports that this new plane will fill “the gap between the Boeing 737 workhorse and advanced 787.” In addition to relieving congestion on crowded cross-country routes, the hope is that this particular craft will also allow it to be used on medium-range trans-Atlantic routes. With a range of 5,200 nautical miles, it is hoped that the 797 will offer good connectivity from the U.S. to smaller European markets.
Boeing has high hopes for the craft and believes that the demand for the 797 could be strong; it foresees that as many as 4,000 could enter service from 2025 and Boeing says that it has already spoken to 57 potential customers.
Details and further information on the craft itself aren’t yet clear, but as with the bigger 787 Dreamliner, it has been revealed that the plane’s wings and body will be made from a carbon fiber composite material.
[Photo: Shutterstock]
